Greens, Potatoes, and an "Amazing Enchilada" : Week of July 12

This week was full of Greens, Potatoes, and Recipe testing.  Cleaning, blanching, and cyrovacing were the typical days work.  On Monday we worked specifically with Green Beans.  We cut the end off, then blanched them.  Once they were blanched we cyrovaced, labeled, and stored them.  We did a lot of work on Monday.  We got through 250# in the first day!!!!

Tuesday we were supposed to go to the Slow Rocket Urban Farm, but because of the inclement weather, we didn't.  Instead, we finished up the Green Beans and started on the Potatoes.  We continued the same system with the Green Beans that we had before.  We started a new system with the Potatoes though - we brought out the slicer.  The slicer is dangerous, but greatly needed machine.  Imagine you getting cut with a sharp knife, then multiply that pain by 25.  That's the pain that the slicer's blade can cause.  So we must keep our fingers away from the blade at all times.  Their is a handle that you use to do the slicing.  We hold that and slide the potato left to right and the blade slices off potato into a scalloped potato slice.  We blanched them after they were finished, and cyrovaced them. At the same time two of us also used our Potato Peeler.  You can put 20# of potatoes into the hole that's on the top.  Then we shut the door that is on the side of the machine so that the potatoes don't fly out.  The machine has a nozzle that attaches to the sink.  So we turn on the water, and set the timer.  Then the machine goes to work. And trust me, you can hear the machine work.  We used these potatoes for our mashed potatoes! Tuesday we got through all the rest of the 600# of green beans and 170# of scalloped potatoes !!!

Wednesday we  were able to go to the Slow Rocket Urban Farm.  There we transplanted tomatoes, and fed the chickens.  Once we got back to Salus we did some recipe testing.  We made Scalloped potatoes, Enchilada's, and Creamed Spinach.  We also tasted the Yogurt that we made the previous week.  The scalloped potatoes turned out to be a little bit too salty.  But the Enchilada's were amazing.  The Creamed spinach was alright.  And the Yogurt was good, but not flavored.  So, for plain yogurt it tasted just right.

On Thursday we did more Potatoes!  Yay!  We brought back out the slicer and scalloped some more potatoes.  While others cleaned potatoes and put them through the peeler.  While the potato action was happening we also had some green action!  We have Kale and Collards.  We cut of the stem and then cut them in half.  Then we blanched and cyrovaced each of them. We got through 64# of greens, 150# of mashed potatoes and 130# of scalloped potatoes!!! 

Friday we  were working with potatoes again.  Using the slicer once again, but this time we cut two parts of the potato off so that it would not roll around when we put them on the blade to be sliced.  We were also taking our previously peeled potatoes and making more mashed potatoes.  They smelled delicious!  While we were doing that Lief and Chef Steve were making three recipes!  We will be testing Garden Pasta, Corn Bread, and Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  Evaluations will be coming shortly.  Stay tuned!!!!

And were back.....

The Garden Pasta was fantastic!  A lot of different textures.  " a little bit plain, but has a burst flavor" says Jillian.  Overall we give it 3 stars.  A high 3 stars.  The corn bread was Delicious!  The perfect type of corn bread!  5 stars!  And last, but certainly not least the Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  Amazing burst of chocolate!  It's so sweet you don't even see the Zucchini!  It's the PERFECT way to make kids like Zucchini!  It's fantastic!  It was a GREAT recipe testing day!  Well deserved, and very delicious!

CYA NEXT WEEK!